June 6, 2010 · Caoling and Fengshan · Canon EOS 500D · 18–55mm F3.5–5.6
Fengshan Observation Deck
Fengshan is a village in Alishan Township, Chiayi County. Formerly known as Shigupan, it sits at an elevation of about 750 meters. The Tashan mountain range surrounds the village, forming a basin threaded with streams and dramatic valley scenery.
After several typhoons, floodwater had torn the mountain roads to pieces. Even some of the bridges had been swept off to who-knows-where @.@'"
That meant a long stretch of our drive from Caoling to Fengshan went straight across a dry riverbed crowded with enormous rocks ~.~'"
The ride was so rough that it nearly shook our butts in half @.@'"
Fortunately, our minibus driver doubled as a guide and kept everyone entertained. When we passed an aiyu plant, he launched into a perfectly serious explanation:
“Look to your left. That’s one of our local specialties—the aiyu plant. It’s a climbing vine that usually grows over tree trunks or rocks. Those green things are its fruit. Once they ripen, you cut them open, turn them inside out and dry them to make the aiyu seeds we normally see.”
Then came the punchline: “If they were ripe, I’d stop and let you pick some. Take as many as you want—it’s fine…because they aren’t mine @.@'"…”
He was joking, of course, but he had all the aunties on the bus laughing. Later, he brought us to the shop his family ran, where everyone bought enormous containers of camellia oil. Whether anyone would actually cook with it—or eat the result—was another question, but at least we were helping the mountain community and supporting the local economy ~.~'"
At the entrance to the Fengshan Scenic Area, the driver asked whether anyone noticed something unusual about the stone inscription. One sharp-eyed auntie saw that the character 流 in 土石流—“debris flow”—was missing a stroke. He immediately explained that everyone there wished debris flows could be “a little less,” too.
Looking down from the newly built Shigupan Bridge, the marks across the broad riverbed made the force of the debris flow easy to imagine.
Even after all that wind and rain, the valley had lost none of its grandeur.
Along the way, we saw suspension bridges spanning the valley, giving residents another way across without relying only on road bridges supported by piers. Looking back from the trail, the bridges appeared to hang between the forested slopes.
We eventually reached the Fengshan observation deck.
Layers of peaks and river valleys opened before us, with Jiaolong Waterfall—Fengshan’s most recognizable landmark—visible on the distant mountainside.
A little farther on, we found a guesthouse tucked between the mountains and water. With scenery like this on every side…what a location…
While everyone was admiring the view, someone suddenly asked, “Wait…where did Lisa go?!”
An older woman had found several stag beetles under a tree. She caught two large ones to take home for her elementary-school-aged grandson. Once Lisa heard about that, she insisted on taking one home, too.
For the sake of protecting nature, the answer was obviously no!! All right…to be honest, I also dislike having anything with more than four legs inside my house @.@'"
Just before Lisa could deploy a full-scale tantrum, a kind grandmother put one of the beetles into a bottle for her. Look how happy she was… Everyone gathered under the tree to inspect her new friend.
Oh…my…God… Were we really going to bring that beetle home? If we killed it, wouldn’t that be one more terrible deed on our conscience?! Lisa, meanwhile, clutched the bottle and clearly had no intention of giving it up.
Dad crouched beside her and tried to explain: “When little explorers go exploring, they mustn’t damage nature. This is where wild animals and insects live. Think about it—if someone visited our house, said they really liked you, and then carried you away, would you want that?”
Phew~~ We finally convinced the little rascal ^.^
On the way home, we came across a field of sunflowers blooming beside a country road. Their bright yellow faces turned toward the sunlight and brought our two-day journey to a fitting close.
Our two-day, one-night trip through central Taiwan had covered only two main sights, but giving Lisa the chance to spend time in nature was probably the most precious part of the journey for her.
Related post:
Caoling and Fengshan—Wannian Canyon
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